Wharves & Sea

As we walked, I glanced at the area Mana had been shot. There was a small hole puncturing the vest.

“How are your injuries?” I said.

“I’m fine. What about you? You got shot twice, right?”

“I’m used to it.”

The adrenaline was still covering the pain that the bullets had caused. I’m sure if we took a rest right now, it would become agonizing.

A breeze brushed pass us, and the scent of the sea wafted through our nostrils. We reached a fence around the perimeter of the wharf. We were still somewhat inland but could still see something massive at sea. It was a cargo ship with many different colored containers on it. The wharf was mostly empty with many open spaces, and there were still a few cargo containers lying about.

“Aimi, we’re here. What exactly are we looking for?” I said.

“It looks like the recordings sometimes mention a cargo ship at the wharf. Do you see anything like it?”

“Hard not to. It’s huge.”

“There might be something in the bridge. You’ll have to get on the ship.”

We gazed at the cargo ship. At the bottom, there was a platform being laid out that connected to the opening in the ship. A couple of men were entering, wearing helmets and jumpsuits.

“Is that the only way in?” I said.

Mana pressed a finger against her chin. “Yeah. I think there were supposed to be some guards stationed on the ship, too. We might be able to get in by disguise.” She pulled down the cap, hiding her face.

We passed through the fence, walking in the dark towards the ship. It grew larger as we closed the distance until it loomed over us. I approached the platform leading inside while Mana followed close behind. A crew member was standing out, looking at a clipboard. Our footsteps grew louder, and he looked up.

“Sure took your time. Special guests aren’t supposed to be late,” he said.

“Sorry, something held us up,” I said.

“Only two of you? Supposed to be eight.”

“They’re busy. Sent us instead.”

The crew member sighed and shook his head. “Whatever. Just get in. You’re the last ones.”

We walked up the platform, the steel clanging beneath our feet.

“We need to hurry. It looks like the ship’s about to set sail,” said Mana.

The inside was white, cold, and it looked quite dull. We headed up the stairs to the bridge. We reached the entrance, seeing the captain and other crew members inside through the windows.

“Aimi, what exactly are we supposed to be looking for in the bridge?” I said.

No sound came from the other side. I called her again, but there still wasn’t a response. Worry swelled in my chest. I pressed the earpiece again, making sure it was working. I looked around, gazing at the black sea surrounding us and this ship. There wasn’t any signal here.

“She’s probably fine. Let’s try to find out where this ship is going,” said Mana.

I pushed down the handle and opened the door, stepping into the bridge. Everyone inside craned their necks and stared at us.

“There isn’t any danger here. You two should head back to your quarters,” said the captain.

I stopped, thinking about my next words. “Just wanted to take a look around. It’s going to be a long journey, and we wanted to familiarize the ship to protect it better.”

The captain furrowed his brows while his subordinate’s mouth slanted into a smile then a laugh.

“Long for us, not for you. It’s just a trip to the city then back here for you guys. Supposed to be transporting a VIP or something.”

“Which wharf are you stopping at in the city?”

“You guys newbies or something?” said the captain, giving us the name and location of the wharf. It was on the opposite end of the city where our normal operations took place. “I swear, the amount of money your superiors gave wasn’t enough considering the time constraints.”

We thanked him then left the bridge, heading for the platform leading out of the ship. When we got there, the crew member who we had met was inside, the platform laid flat on its side, and the entryway was sealed shut.

“Hey, we forgot something out there. We’ll come back really quick,” I said.

He shrugged. “You can get it on your return here. The ship is about to set sail.”

A bead of sweat slipped down my temple. I needed to at least contact Aimi.

“It’s only for a second,” I said.

“Not happening,” said the man.

I showed him my back and walked the other way through the corridor.

“We’ll call her once we’re back in the city,” said Mana.

I nodded, but we’d be at a disadvantage if we couldn’t contact Aimi once we were at one of the city’s wharf.

“I can’t reopen the door, but the least I can do is show you to your quarters,” said the man from behind.

We took him up on his offer, and he showed us to our room. There was a bed against the wall on either side of the room. A nightstand was in the middle, and a dresser was at the foot of the left bed. He also showed us the mess hall where we got some food. The others had already eaten, so it was just us.

We returned to the cabin when we ate our fill, taking off the bulletproof vests to examine our injuries. Mana had a large bruise near her ribcage while I had two bruises, one on my chest and the other on the side of my abdomen. We searched the ship for medical supplies and found some in the clinic. We applied it to ourselves, and I made sure that the wound on my leg was fully healed.

I looked out the window to see that the ship was already on the move, passing the wharf and other buildings. I plopped onto the bed and heaved a sigh of relief, knowing that danger wouldn’t be close for another couple hours. The ship had already reached its maximum speed, and I predicted that we would arrive in the early morning.

I had already taken a few painkillers, but the injuries were still burning into my torso. If I laid down, the pain would probably intensify. I rose from the bed and headed for the door.

“Where are you going?” said Mana.

My lack of energy didn’t allow me to speak, so I pointed up with my index finger.

“I’m coming too.”

“Your injuries?” I said, my voice quiet and hoarse.

“It’s still better than being stuck in here.”

We made our way to the deck where the breeze blew, and sea salt scent wafted throughout. We learned against the railing, watching the city move as the ship did. Our cabin had been suffocating, and we took deep, heavy breathes like it was our last.

“You alright?” said Mana.

I faced her and tilted my head.

“Don’t play dumb. You’re obviously worried about something.”

I looked down at the sea, watching the water slosh against the hull.

“Does it have anything to do with those guards you took out?”

My voice was stuck in my throat, and I felt something squeezing inside me once again. What would she say, I wondered? A silent monster creeping through the streets, ending people’s lives without a second thought, feeling nothing. Reckless curiosity gripped and controlled me, forcing my head to nod.

Mana looked out towards the city, silent. I curled my fingers around the railing, desperate to hold onto something if I would be sacked. She held her gaze on the horizon and spoke.

“I don’t know how you feel, but I believe that as long as you still worry about it, that means you still feel something, right?”

I took in her words. I had been a drone who felt nothing while completing contracts for the agency. The fear of becoming what I already was drove me to escape. I was worried about not feeling anything, but wouldn’t that worry meant I was still feeling something?

“As long as you’re alive and can still feel, you’re not a lost cause.” Mana gave a wry chuckled and scratched her head. “Sorry if that didn’t come out right.”

“Thanks,” I said, my voice lower than a whisper.

“Sure thing.”

We stood there, feeling the breeze until it became too cold, and we had to return to our cabin. The ship was silent except for our footsteps. The dulled pain returned, and only sleep would remedy it. As I laid in bed, the ship rocked back and forth until drowsiness overcame me.

We peered through the window, seeing the light upon the horizon. The city’s many squares of light would soon turn off and be replaced by sunlight in a few hours. The city’s many wharves were already in full view. The cargo ship sailed to a wharf far from the place we were familiar with. Plenty of other cargo ships were there, and I didn’t see any open spots for us to dock.

We headed for the bridge, meeting the captain and his crew. They barely gave us a glance while the captain spoke on the transceiver, shouting.

“Delay? No open spots? What are you on about?” He said.

I pulled one of his crew member aside, asking him for the situation. According to him, there wasn’t any spot left to dock on the wharf. The ship we were on was supposed to dock, unload, and leave at night on the same day. This delay would be good as it gave us enough time to prepare to catch whoever the VIP would be. However, it wouldn’t do us any good to be stuck on the ship right now. When the call was cut, I interrupted the captain in his fury.

“We need a way off this ship ASAP.”

He glared at me. “So do we, but we can’t. How about you two make yourself scarce before I lose my mind?”

“My boss is paying you good money, and if you don’t—”

“Quit joking and get out!” said the captain, his voice a roar as he pointed at the exit behind us.

We were left to wander the deck, looking out towards the wharf. I still couldn’t contact Aimi this far from the city. As I moped while leaning on the railings, Mana pointed at a seaworthy vessel on this ship. It was a large, orange lifeboat capable of fitting more than a 100 people.

“You sure? It’s probably slow, and once it hits the water, the crew will find out immediately. I don’t even know how to drive this thing,” I said.

“It’s better than nothing. It’s not like the crew will jump in the water to chase after us. As for driving, we’ll learn on the way.”

I nodded. It was the only way we could think of right now. The lifeboat was suspended in the air with two mechanical arms holding it up using two ropes. I pulled the door open and stepped inside with Mana behind me. It was spacious and humid, the heat suffocating us. The faster we got this working and got to land, the better.

We got up to the cockpit and looked at the controls. We flicked a few switches and pushed a few buttons, trying to lower the lifeboat onto the sea. We gazed over the smooth, flat surface, searching for our answers. None came, and I couldn’t think of anything other than cutting the ropes that was holding us up. I looked around and spotted a small knife.

I stepped out of the lifeboat and climbed on top of it, grasping the wires with one hand and the knife in the other. I pressed the sharp edge against the rope and began cutting. It was disconnected, and the boat lurched back and me along it. I nearly fell into the sea but managed to grab the boat in time, hanging above the water. I pulled myself up towards the other rope. Finding a foothold, I cut the other rope, bracing for the fall. The interior of my stomach fell alongside my body, and I landed on the roof of the boat. I rolled onto my front, facing the cockpit with Mana inside. She gave me a smile then a thumbs up. I clambered back into the boat, taking a seat at the cockpit.

“Nice job. I have to say, it was sort of funny seeing you fall like that,” said Mana, chuckling.

“Oh shut it. Did you get this thing working?”

She nodded, and the boat sailed forward, slowly. The wharf and the ships docking there grew larger as we neared them. She looked for an empty spot away from the others to dock. As the distance to our destination closed, I heard a static cackle then a familiar voice.

“Mana, Maru, come in. Can you hear me?”

“We’re safe and sound,” I said, giving her our location and information. “Also, who you calling Maru?”

Aimi heaved a sigh of relief. “To think you would return by boat.” She chuckled. “I’m sending a ride to your location. I’ll also search for more information regarding the area you’re in. See you soon.”

The dark, early morning had become a pale blue. The lifeboat thudded against the wharf, and she parked a little bit away. We opened the door and jumped out onto the asphalt. A cool breezed brushed past me, and a couple of cargo containers were laid out. I walked a bit inland, savoring the cool air. Footsteps approached from my right, and I waited for Mana to catch up.

The right side of my face felt like it exploded, and the left side hit the asphalt. My vision blurred, and I looked up to see the assailant. His face was contorted between anger and pleasure, and he glared at me with his one eye, the left one closed. I gripped the suppressed pistol at my holster and was about to aim when he kicked it out, following it with a stomp at my face. Mana charged at him, preparing to take him to the ground, but he simply pushed her away and slammed her into the sea. The water splashed and was silenced.

The one-eyed assassin got on top of me, wrapped his fingers around my throat, and squeeze. His knees were on my arms, and I couldn’t get my legs to work. My eyes blurred and blackened, and the world began to darken all around, and only the assassin’s face was visible for me. I writhed, struggled, and pushed, but the pressure was greater than my own.

Something whizzed pass above me and hit him in the head. He fell to the side, limp, and a pool of blood formed. I regained my vision and gasped for breath, feeling the warmth of the pool touching the left side of my face. I craned my neck right, the blood warmth limiting itself to my hair. Mana had the suppressed pistol in hand, pointed near me and clinging to the edge. She climbed up, rushing to my side. She pushed the assassin off and dragged me behind a cargo container away from the corpse, letting my back rest against the cold steel.

“Are you alright?” said Mana, examining my bruised face.

I nodded, my throat dry.

“Aimi, we were attacked by the one-eyed assassin. Masa needs medical attention.”

“Is he ok? What about the assassin?”

“He’s gone for good. Is the ride coming any time soon?”

“I’ll tell them to hurry it up. Our place has supplies to treat him if it isn’t too grave.”

“Thanks, Aimi. He’ll live.”

Mana took a seat next to me, squeezing the water out of her clothes. Her hair was dark and damp, hang lower than it normally would. We sat there, waiting for the ride until Aimi announced its arrival. She supported me to the car where a few white tank top men awaited. I got inside where the pain and bumping of the car rocked me to sleep.